Portable toilet kit



May 17, 1966 's. T. PARSONS, JR

PORTABLE TOILET KIT Filed Oct. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. SETH T. PARSONS,JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,251,637 PORTABLE TOILET KIT Seth T. Parsons, Jr., Canfield, Ohio, assiguor of twentyfive percent to Richard L. Buechler, Canfield, Ohio Filed Oct. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 403,746 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-227) This invention relates to a portable toilet kit and more particularly to a foldable assembly of a wash basin, storage shelves, and a mirror which is especially useful to campers and outdoorsmen. The invention is characterized by its extreme simplicity, compactness, ease of handling and storage, and the facility With which the opened unit may be supported for use in the field.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a practical and inexpensive device having all of the above-characteristics while at the same time being of maximum usefulness in the field.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the kind mentioned which may be readily folded into a small convenient portable and handled unit which is pleasing in over-all design and which may be fabricated from various materials, including durable and v attractive plastics if desired.

ally a small box-like cabinet which is normally verti cally positioned and which is opened at its front. Cabinet 10 has a bottom wall 11, a top wall 12 and side walls 13 to complete an enclosure for a number of horizontally disposed and vertically spaced shelves 14 which are suitably secured within the cabinet.

Hinged to the forward bottom edge of the wall 11 as at 15 is a tray or cover 16 having an outer wall 17 and side walls 18. The dimensions of the tray 16 are such that-when the assembly is folded together, as shown in FIGURE 2, the outer surfaces of the tray walls 18 will meet up flush with the outer surfaces of the walls 11-13 of the cabinet 10 to present a neat closed appearance as evident from FIGURE 2. Subject light flexible chains or cords 19, one on either side of the unit, and attached at their ends to the inner faces of the walls 13 and 18 are provided to limit the opening movement of the tray 16 to 90 with respect to the general plane of the cabinet 10.

Outer wall 17 of tray 16 is formed with an enlarged circular aperture 20 which is equidistant between the sides of the tray 16 but which is preferably somewhat closer to the front or top of the tray as suggested in the drawing. Received within the aperture 20 is a dished wash basin 21 preferably having a rimmed upper edge as suggested at 22 which is of larger outer diameter than the diameter of the aperture 20 so that the basin will be retained within the aperture even though the unit is suspended from the cabinet 10 as will be hereinafter more fully explained. Also, depending on the specific construction of theunit the basin 21 may be restrained against upward movement in the aperture 20 simply by friction between the parts, but I prefer to provide a few retaining clips 23 which are secured to and carried by the wall 17 and which are readily retractable radially outward to permit of the ready removal of the basin when desired.

3,251,637 Patented May 17, 1966 'ice Secured to and extending forwardly of the top portions of the inner faces of the side walls 13 of the cabinet 10 is a pair of hinge mounts 24. Pivoted between the mounts 24 on a suitable hinge pin or pins as suggested in the drawing is'a frame 25 which mounts a mirror 26. The mounts 24 are of such dimension and the hinge axis is so located that when the cabinet 10 is positioned in a vertical plane the plane of the frame 25 and mirror 26 leans backward well over dead-center position to place the frame and mirror in a stable position with the mirror tilted upwardly to reflect the face of the user who may be standing in front of the basin 21. This makes the unit admirably suited for shaving and other toiletries, in cluding the putting on of make-up.

The height of the frame 25 is. slightly less than the height of the interior of the cabinet 10 so that when the frame 25 is swung forwardly and downwardly into vertical position'in front of the shelves 14, adequate clearance is allowed for the end of top and bottom walls 18 of the tray -16 to close onto the top and bottom walls 12, 11 of the cabinet 10. The outer faces of the mounts 24 clear the inner faces of the side walls 18 of the tray 16 when the tray is closed onto the cabinet after the mirror has been folded in, and likewise the inner face of the top wall 18 of the tray 16 slides up and over the top edges of the mounts 24. It should be obvious that, as thus fitted, the mounts '24 perform the further advantageous function'of stabilizing the tray 16 against twisting movement on the hinges 15 when in closed position. This makes for a rugged package which is not liable to be damaged when thrown in with heavy camping or hunting equipment. Any suitable means such as the lat-ch 27 may be employed to lock the tray 16 in closed position against the cabinet 10.

It should be noted, further, that the frame 25 and mirror 26 when in closed folded position performs the added function of closing off the front of the shelves 14 so as to prevent loss and/or spillage of the articles positioned thereon. The shelf space, however, is open at the ends to an extent represented by the thickness of the mounts 24 but such openings are really quite narrow slits which do not permit the outpouring of containers and articles normally housed in toilet kits. These slits, however, are useful in enabling all of the chain or cord 19 to be tucked within the enclosure when the assembly is folded up.

Fitted to the top of the cabinet 10 is a handle 28, and I :may also provide on the top of this cabinet a pair of small spaced hooks 29. In the use of the device in the field, the same may be suspended from a pole or a small tree trunk by the apparel belt of the user which is caused to wrap around the pole or trunk or about a limb of the tree and thence passed through the handle 28. Obviously, this suspension hitch is so adjusted that the tray 16 .is generally horizontal and approximately at waist height to facilitate the use of the article. Aparticularly useful feature of the assembly is that the same may be maneuvered into proper position and alignment while in a completely closed condition after which the device is quickly prepared for use by swinging the tray 16 downwardly and the mirror 26 upwardly. This latter at once exposes the shelves 14 for ready access to any shaving or toilet articles which may be supported thereon.

The hooks 29 are useful in supporting the device from the upper rim of an entrance door of a motor vehicle or from any other conveniently located ledge. The hooks 29 may be made retractable so that during transport they may be confined within the general outline of the cabinet 10.

When the tray 16 is in generally horizontal position, a quantity of water may be poured in the basin 21 for washing or shaving, and since the basin is readily removable the same may be lifted out to discard the used water before being replaced in the tray for transport.

The above specifically described embodiment of the invention should be taken as illustrative only as obviously many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims in de termining the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A portable toilet kit comprising a cabinet adapted to be placed in vertical operative position and having back, side, and top and bottom walls as well as horizontally disposed shelves spanning said side and back walls, a pair of hinge mounts projecting forwardly from the inner surfaces of the top portions of said side walls, a mirror hinged to and between said mounts and swingable from a vertical position closing off the front of said shelves to an upward and backwardly tilted stable position, a tray having an outer or bottom wall andside walls hinged to the forward edge of the bottom wall of 'said cabinet and swingable from a position wherein the side walls thereof are aligned with the bottom, top and side walls of the cabinet to a generally horizontal position and vice versa, the bottom or outer wall of said tray having an enlarged aperture therein, and a dished basin detachably received in said aperture and projecting below said tray when said tray is in a horizontal position.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the parts are so dimensioned that portions of the inner surfaces of the side walls of said tray override the top and outside surfaces of said hinge mounts when said assembly is collapsed for transport whereby said hinge mounts will steady said tray against twisting on its hinges.

3. A portable toilet kit comprising a cabinet adapted to be placed in vertical operative position and having back, side, and top and bottom walls as well as horizontally disposed shelves spanning said side and back walls, a pair of hinge mounts projecting forwardly from the inner surfaces of the top portions of said side walls, a mirror hinged to and between said mounts and swingable from a vertical position closing off the front of said shelves to an upward and backwardly tilted stable position, a tray having an outer or bottom wall and side walls hinged to the forward edge of the bottom wall of said cabinet and swingable'from a position wherein the side walls thereof are aligned with the bottom, top and'side walls of the cabinet to a generally horizontal position and -vice versa, and said tray including adished basin adapted to receive and hold water when the tray is in generally horizontal position.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the parts are so dimensioned that portions of the inner surfaces of the side walls of said tray override the top and outside surfaces of said hinge mounts when said assembly is collapsed for transport whereby said hinge mounts will steady said tray against twisting on its hinges.

5. An assembly according to claim 3 further including means secured to the top wall of said cabinet whereby the said cabinet may be suspended in said vertical operative position while said tray is retained in said generally horizontal position.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 further including flexible cord-like supports attached to the inner surfaces of the side walls of said cabinet and to the inner surfaces of the side walls of said tray, the side edges of said mirror being spaced inwardly from the inner surfaces of the side walls ofsaid cabinet, and said supports being foldable into the spaces between the side edges of the mirror and the inner surfaces of the side walls of said cabinet when said assembly is collapsed for transport.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 616,444 12/1888 Andrews 312-227 1,008,754 11/ 1911 Thompson 312-227 1,667,564 4/1928 Pearson 312227 X 1,891,680 12/1932 Meldahl 312228 X JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE TOILET KIT COMPRISING A CABINET ADAPTED TO BE PLACED IN VERTICAL OPERATIVE POSITION AND HAVING BACK, SIDE, AND TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS AS WELL AS HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED SHELVES SPANNING SAID SIDE AND BACK WALLS A PAIR OF HINGE MOUNTS PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM THE INNER SURFACES OF THE TOP PORTIONS OF SAID WALLS, A MIRROR HINGED TO AND BETWEEN SAID MOUNTS AND SWINGABLE FROM A VERTICAL POSITION CLOSING OFF THE FRONT OF SAID SHELVES TO AN UPWARD AND BACKWARDLY TILTED STABLE POSITION, A TRAY HAVING AN OUTER OR BOTTOM WALL AND SIDE WALLS HINGED TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID CABINET AND SWINGABLE FROM POSITION WHEREIN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF ARE ALIGNED WITH THE BOTTOM, TOP AND SIDE WALLS OF THE CABINET TO A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND VICE VERSA, THE BOTTOM OR OUTER WALL OF SAID TRAY HAVING AN ENLARGED APERTURE THEREIN, AND A DISHED BASIN DETACHABLY RECEIVED IN SAID APERTURE AND PROJECTING BELOW SAID TRAY WHEN SAID TRAY IS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION. 